Refinement

Been thinking about certain things lately and today is refinement...a lesson I pray some embrace sooner than later:::Family and friends: PLEASE dont let your OLD baggage crowd your life so much that it crowds out the most important things or more importantly PEOPLE. It is OKAY to learn new things and it's OKAY to change if the change is to become better and more refined.

What does it mean to be refined per definition of a silversmith:
In refining gold and silver one needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the hottest so as to burn away all of the impurities.

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

Think about that in this last part:
The silversmith has to sit and hold the silver in the fire but they also have to keep their eyes on it. Why you may ask??? If the silver is left for a moment to long in the fire it can be destroyed!!!

When is silver ready???
According to a silversmith: "When I am able to see my image in the silver!"


Zechariah 13:9 (Gods Word Translation)"I will bring this third [of the people] through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people.' They will reply, 'The LORD is our God.'"

 Allow yourself to be refined by the Master Refiner.
(Note::In this illustration the silversmith or the one holding the silver is God.)

Nostalgia

I remember what happened that day... I remember where I was and hearing the stories from certain family members who were in the city and some blocks away from the buildings during that time.. I remember the fear and sadness...I appreciate what the rescuers did to save lives and the lives that were lost in the process.. Truthfully at this moment I cant help but feel nostalgia for another reason though..

Many of us have seen this world evolve into what it is now. Many of our freedoms and liberties have been compromised and continue to be even after the historical date, 9/11/2001. We are blinded as to not see what has been taken from us because of the way that its been packaged or even lack there of.

In the recent months I have taken an initiative to search more and dig more about who I am in Christ. I have also been allowed to learn about new things and my eyes have been opened more to what the truth is. It makes me sad to see so many of the people I know just settling for the bible stories they learned growing up and going through the motions instead of searching for the truth themselves. They settle for a washed down version of the gospel and truthfully this is what the devil wants to happen. It's about the same as all of our freedoms and liberties in this country being washed down and us just settling for what we have and being content where we are and thinking that we cant do anything about it. The devil wants us to be ignorant and stagnant. He wants us to compromise our beliefs, values, and our free gifts that are given through Christ in order to continue to have a hold on our lives. AND many people do not realize it or see any of it at all, they think this is "normal" life.

When will this contentment end in our lives? Will it end when persecutions become real and we really arent free anymore? Will it end when people realize that they are entangled in the devils chains or by that time is it too late? Why is it taking so long for people to remove themselves from their comfort zones and come out of babylon and live the life that God designed for them to live instead of living a facade? Is it fear of not being forgiven or accepted as a child of God because of mistakes we have made?

While many remember 9/11 for the tragedies that took place or the heroic efforts, I cant help but feel for the people who have lack of knowledge of the bigger deeper picture of the times we are living in.

Romans 13:11-14 (MSG) says:
But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Dont wait til the last minute, then you wont be ready!

I dont know about u but I wanna go HOME and I want/need the people I love to want to go HOME too!